wind

EDPR closes a power purchase agreement for a new 250 MW wind farm in the US

EDP Renewables SA has signed a 15-year power purchase agreement for its new, 250 MW wind farm located in the state of Maine in the US. The company plans to start selling electricity under this agreement in 2016.

The facility, known as the Number Nine Wind Farm, is owned by EDP Renewables North America LLC and is located in Aroostook County, Maine.

On Friday, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy of the US state of Connecticut said his administration has signed deals with EDP Renewables and with the developers of a solar project in eastern Connecticut to prive clean energy to the state's residents.

The two projects will average under eight cents per kilowatt hour, a price that is close to the cost of power generated from fossil fuel plants.

In a written release, the governor's office described the price as "among the lowest ... ever obtained for solar and wind power in the region."

Malloy, meanwhile, called the deals "truly historic" and " the most significant step Connecticut has ever taken to harness the power of clean energy."

Under state law, the winning bids on a request for proposals were chosen by the commissioner of energy and environmental protection after an interagency review.

A total of 47 developers bid on the deal, most of them from out of state. The governor's office said the price of power was the number one criteria it considered, followed by the project's contribution toward improving reliability of the power grid and finally, the feasibility of the proposals.

In addition to EDP Renewables North America LLC and its Number Nine Wind Farm, the other winner was the Fusion Solar Center, a 20 MW solar photovoltaic system currently being built by HelioSage Energy of Charlottesville, Virginia.

Since early 2013 , EDPR has secured a capacity of 880 MW by signing new agreements for the sale of electricity, of which 250 MW are projects already in operation and 630 MW of new projects that will be installed after 2014.